20. Harley

TWENTY

HARLEY

I woke up to the now familiar disorientation of an arm draped around me. For the last several nights, since Tate moved in, he couldn't sleep unless he had me in his arms. It had been awkward for me at first, but I always fell asleep and had the most restful night ever. It had been so long since I'd been held like that, I'd almost forgotten how good it felt. Luis had, not surprisingly, not been very affectionate. It had been years since I'd had the experience of melting into someone else as we fell asleep. I hadn't realized how much I missed it.

Having Tate around helped me feel more balanced, too. With the stress of the move, the pregnancy, and the threat of Luis, I had been on the verge of a mental breakdown. I'd been jumpy and half crazy. The last few days with him had really calmed me down. It was almost like I was a new person.

Tate stirred and pulled me closer, pressing my back against his chest and stomach. He breathed deeply and sighed, making my hair flutter around my neck.

He leaned close to my ear and said, "I'll get breakfast ready for the girls. You need to rest."

As Tate rolled out of bed and headed downstairs, I rolled onto my back and closed my eyes. There was no way I was going back to sleep, but getting more rest sounded amazing. Not only had it been a long time since I'd had the physical connection, but it had also been just as long since I'd had help with the girls. Now that they were older, they didn't need much help, but any help at all was a huge help, and very appreciated.

As I lay in bed listening to Tate pulling pans out, I heard Jordyn's voice. Both girls were already up. It sounded like Jordyn was giving Tate a hard time.

"Hey, Big Guy. Are you gonna burn us some eggs or something?" Jordyn laughed.

Tate responded, "Nope, gonna blend up some broccoli and onions for a smoothie. Sound good?"

Jordyn giggled. "Eww, gross."

"Can I help you?" Mariah asked.

A smile played over my face as I listened to the three of them together. How had we gotten to this point? Six months ago, if someone had told me I'd be in Colorado, pregnant, and living with the sexy guy I'd met in a bar once, I'd have called them something even crazier than crazy. Now? Well, here we were. Were we turning into a family? God, it was insane to think about.

Dangerous to wish for.

Before my mind was able to spin down that rabbit hole, the doorbell chimed. I groaned and finally got out of bed. I wasn't expecting anyone, so I had no idea who it could be. Maybe it was one of Tate's friends stopping by.

Tate called toward the door, "One minute. Be right there."

I slipped on my fluffy robe and got halfway down the stairs by the time Tate got to the door and opened it.

I saw Emily at the door, and immediately grinned. She gave Tate a blazing white smile and put her hand out. "I'm Emily. You must be Tate. I've heard so much about you."

Tate took a half step back and… sniffed. Was he smelling the air? That was weird. Then he glared at the hand, not taking it. The look on his face was not friendly at all, which was strange. What was wrong with him? Emily didn't seem to mind, though. She dropped her hand and stepped inside, brushing past Tate. Under his breath, Tate breathed a word that sounded like ‘witch.' Or maybe he said ‘bitch?' Emily's steps faltered a bit after he said it, but she regained her composure quickly and smiled at me. I watched their interaction with a mild mix of confusion and horror.

Emily acted as though nothing had happened. She also acted like she'd never met Tate before in her life, but the way Tate was scowling at her made me think there was some history there. I attempted to keep the look of uncertainty off my face as she stepped forward and gave me a quick hug. I glanced over her shoulder at Tate and tried to catch his eye, but he looked uneasy and wouldn't take his eyes off Emily. In another situation, I might have felt slighted, but the look in his eye was not of attraction or lust. If it was anything, it was rage and hate.

After we hugged, I noticed the velvet bag in Emily's hand. Trying to put the weird vibe between her and Tate at the back of my mind, I said, "What's that?"

She looked at her hand, like she'd forgotten she was carrying anything, and laughed. "Oh, this? I almost forgot. I brought you and the girls some jewelry. It's stuff my grandma had, that I thought you guys might want."

The girls' eyes lit up when she mentioned jewelry. I shook my head. "You guys are gonna be late for the bus. You can go through it tonight when you get home."

"Ugh, fine," Jordyn said, grabbing her backpack.

I glanced at Tate, who had moved from the doorway over to the girls. He was still looking at Emily like she was a rabid dog. I wanted to tell him to stop, but didn't know how without making things awkward.

I nodded toward the door. "Tate, did you want to take the girls out to the bus?"

"Yeah. Sure." His clipped words didn't go unnoticed by the girls. They both raised an eyebrow at each other before walking to the door.

Tate walked backwards with them, almost like he didn't want to let Emily out of his sight. It was the most bizarre thing I'd ever seen in my life. Even more bizarre was the way Emily was acting. If a man Tate's size had looked at me like that, I'd have been terrified. She acted like he wasn't even there.

As Tate stepped through the door, he said, "I'll be right back." He emphasized the word ‘right', almost like he was warning me. Or warning Emily? From the corner of my eye, I thought Emily smirked.

"Umm, are you sure you and Tate don't know each other?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No. Never met him before. He's cute, though. Good job, sis."

I sighed, not even trying to hide my confusion. "It just seems like he's a little… hostile toward you."

Emily waved a hand in dismissal. "He's probably worked up about the whole kidnapping attempt. Speaking of, how are you doing after that? I freaked when you called and told me."

Caught a little off guard, I said, "Uh, good, doing good."

I didn't really buy her excuse about Tate. She didn't look anything like a masked grown man. There was no way she was involved in what Luis was doing. Except, there was no other explanation.

"Anyway…" she said, "…I need to get going. I've got a few more things to do before grandma's house sells."

Forgetting my misgivings, I asked, "Does that mean you'll be leaving soon? If the house sells, I mean?"

She nodded sadly. "I will. Unfortunately, my work here is done."

That saddened me a little. Emily was the only friend I'd made since I got into town. I didn't want her to go, even though things had been a little strained between us the last week. Maybe some distance would be good.

Tate came back inside a few minutes later, and he did so rather quickly. I had to tell myself he hadn't sprinted back to the door. Emily grinned at me as he stepped inside.

"I need to head out." She hugged me. "Don't worry, we'll keep in touch. Plus, I'm sure I'll see you again before I leave."

She turned and walked to the door. Neither of them tried to hide the way they looked at each other as she passed. Tate's face was just as it had been, but maybe more angry rather than suspicious like it had been before. I could only describe the look Emily gave him as one of disgust. Like he was something to be wiped off her shoe. She disappeared out the door, and Tate stared out the window as she walked away.

I crossed my arms. "So, what the hell?"

Tate glanced back at me. "Huh?"

I gestured to the door Emily had closed behind her. "That? You acted like she was here to kill us all. The looks you were giving her? It was weird as shit, Tate."

Without holding back, he growled, "I don't trust her."

I furrowed my brow. "Why?"

"Trust me. I have my reasons. I've got to make a call." Without another word, he grabbed his phone and stepped out on the porch.

I tried to figure out what the hell had happened, but realizing there was no way to figure it out without more information, I decided to look at the gifts Emily had brought. Once I poured the jewelry out onto the counter, my jaw dropped. It was all gorgeous. It was crazy that she'd want to get rid of it all. Some of the pieces looked pretty valuable. All my hesitations about her evaporated. She really was just being nice, even though she was a little odd.

An opal necklace caught my eye almost immediately. When I reached out for it, I could almost swear I felt energy pulsing out of it. The stories of people saying crystals contained energy sprang to mind. In my life, I'd never experienced it and had thought it was silly––until now.

The necklace was hypnotic. I stared at the stone, almost enraptured at its beauty. My heart raced as my fingers closed around it. As I lifted it, light danced across the opal, making circular patterns in it. Beautiful orange, pink, and white colors wavered as it turned in the light. It almost felt like the necklace was calling to me, asking to be worn. And I wanted to wear it.

Just as I was about to put the chain over my head, Tate's hand clasped over my wrist. I jumped, surprised. I'd been so focused on the opal, I hadn't even heard him come back inside.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

He relaxed his grip but still had an intense look on his face. This time, it wasn't the angry aggression he'd shown with Emily. There was fear in his eyes as he stared at the necklace.

"Don't put that on," he said.

"Why?"

"Just trust me, please." He glanced at the other things on the counter, too. "Don't put any of it on. Don't let the girls wear it, either."

"Tate, you're acting crazy. What's this all about?"

"It's like I said earlier, Harley. I don't trust her, and I don't have a good feeling about this stuff." He waved a hand at the jewelry.

I didn't like that he seemed to be accusing my friend of something. What exactly he was accusing her of was a mystery, though.

"Why don't you trust her, Tate? Do you know her?"

He sighed and rubbed a hand over his jaw. "Look, I've got some guys looking into her, is all. Until we figure out what her angle is, I'd prefer you not get too close to her."

"You have guys watching Emily? My friend? Why are you investigating my friend?" I snapped in irritation.

Tate was visibly frustrated and winced, almost like he was in pain, before he finally opened his mouth to reply. "Harley, don't you think it's a little weird that she showed up in town almost the same time you did? And then, within a couple of weeks, Ortiz found you? That Luis somehow located you halfway across the country?"

"What? Do you think she's like… a private investigator or something? That she's working with Luis?"

He held his hands up in defense. "I'm just saying that I want to play out all possibilities and turn over every stone before we let our guard down. Doesn't that sound reasonable? I care too much about you and the girls to leave it all up to chance. If I can stop something bad from happening, then I want to. I want you and everyone around you to be safe." He placed the necklace on the counter and pulled me close, placing a sweet and gentle kiss on my lips. Then he looked into my eyes. "I promise, I'm not trying to steamroll you and control your life, or who you can be friends with. All I'm doing is trusting my gut, and my gut is telling me something is off about Emily. If I end up being wrong, I'll eat all the crow you want me to. Until then, please trust me."

The idea that I'd been played horrified me. Even thinking that Emily might be working with or for Luis made my skin crawl. After listening to Tate, all the weird things she did came to mind. Strange ways she'd acted, offhand comments that seemed a bit off, the way she'd acted earlier with Tate. It all was a little strange. Maybe he was right. Besides, she was leaving soon anyway. I slid all the glittering bracelets, rings, and necklaces back into the velvet bag and handed it to Tate. For the first time since Emily walked in the door, I saw him relax as he took the bag from me.

He kissed me again. "I promise I'll get to the truth about Emily." A smile slowly reappeared on his lips, and he said, "Okay. How about you go get dressed? I've got somewhere I want to take you."

"Um, sure. I'll be right back."

Ten minutes later, we were driving to the outskirts of town. He pulled his truck into the parking lot of a random strip mall. There was a nail salon at the far end and a tax place at the other. The center portion was unmarked. The windows and door were black with the darkest tint I'd ever seen in my life. I doubted you could see inside even if you peered in through cupped hands.

"Where are we?" I asked.

He gave me a wry smile. "This is how I make my living. I thought you might like to check out the security firm."

Surprised, I smiled and nodded. "That sounds kind of neat."

"Let's go."

Tate climbed out of the truck, and I followed close behind. When he got to the door, he punched in what seemed to be a ridiculously long code on a keypad. When the door opened, my jaw hit the floor. I wasn't sure what I'd expected. Maybe some bland white or beige walls, a few mismatched desks, and cubicles, with some early two-thousands-era computers. I was not prepared for what I saw––sleek stainless steel, glossy glass, light gray paint, it was like walking onto the deck of a futuristic starship. If he'd been trying to impress me, he succeeded.

Inside was a desk, and a pretty young lady typing at a frantic pace. When we stepped forward, she looked up and smiled at Tate.

"Good morning, Tate. How are you today?" Her voice had a flirtatious lilt to it, and I watched her lean forward, obviously letting her cleavage show a bit more than was necessary—or appropriate.

"Doing great. Kennedy, this is Harley. She's my guest today. Just giving her the grand tour."

"Morning," Kennedy said to me in a clipped tone.

She didn't look happy that I was here with Tate. It was all I could do to hide my smile. She was young and hot, but Tate had made it very obvious what and who he wanted. I stood a little closer to him after that, even though I wasn't intimidated by her at all.

Tate moved deeper into the building. I followed him as he led us past a small cluster of cubicles. Each one looked like they were filled with top-of-the-line computer equipment. I couldn't even guess as to what some of the stuff was used for. Down a hallway, we came to a small conference room. Four men sat inside and were looking at a map. Once I had a second to orient myself, I could tell that it was a map of my neighborhood.

Tate swept an arm around the room. "These are the guys who have been watching out for you guys." He pointed them out, and he named them off. "Mitch, Carl, Terry, Shawn. You may have noticed the black SUV that's been hovering around your house for the last couple of weeks? It's been one of these guys."

The men in the room smiled at me and waved. I waved back awkwardly. "Uh, thanks, I guess."

"They'll be there all the time now after what happened the other night. We hadn't thought twenty-four-seven surveillance was necessary, but we learned our lesson." He waved at the guys and turned to leave. "Thanks, guys."

Putting a hand on Tate's arm, I said, "I feel bad. I'm like a drain on your resources. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. We do really well. It's not a drain. Like I said before, there are perks to being an owner."

Further down the hall, we came to another office, and I saw Steff and Blayne. Their eyes widened when they saw me with Tate.

"Holy shit," Steff said, "A female in the inner sanctum?"

Blayne laughed. "Yup, looks like it. Mrs. King, you are the first woman Tate here has ever allowed in the man cave. I hope you're thoroughly impressed, as that's no doubt the entire reason he brought you."

"Hey, shut up." But he was grinning when he looked at me. "I'm not trying to impress you. I'm… just showing you what I do."

From his tone, I had a hard time believing him. He spoke to them for a couple of minutes, and I saw some pictures and personal items around the office. From the pictures, I assumed this was probably Steff's. We left and went down the hall, where we entered a sterile and unadorned office.

"This is my office. I don't spend a ton of time here, but it does get some use between jobs," Tate said. "You can hang out here for a bit. I've got a quick meeting. It won't be long. Are you cool with that?"

"I'll be fine."

He grinned. "Great. Like I said, not long. Fifteen, twenty minutes max. See you in a bit."

I looked around the office when he left. After seeing Steff's office, it was a little weird how bare it was. Steff's office had been positively lively compared to this. No photos, no personal items, not even kitschy little knick-knacks or paperweights. I would have been happy to see the obligatory Newton's cradle or Rubik's cube. Honestly, it made me sad.

Tate had told me he was estranged from his family, but I hadn't realized to what extent until now. Lots of people said they didn't get along with their family, but even then, their mother or grandmother sent pictures or cards. This looked like a desert. A desert of the heart. While I sat reading on my phone, and occasionally glancing around at the spartan environment, I had an idea. Something the girls and I could to thank Tate for everything he'd done. We could bring some life into this office.